A look back at 2008

Recently I've been thinking about how awful this winter is, how cold it is, how much snow we have. I realize this will pass and there will be green grass and moments of reading outside again. I was also thinking how over the course of every year my life tends to change. This year the big change was moving in with Mike. I am in a committed relationship with someone I could live with for the rest of my life. I would have never thought that a couple years ago, nor would I have wanted it.

In 2008:

1. Watched my sister get married, move into a house and buy a puppy
2. Relaxed, drank, ate and made friends in Cabo, Mexico
3. Ate my first Izumi's fish fry and then many many more
4. Tubed on Shawano lake - which I haven't since I was in high school
5. Danced, partied and tanned in Fort Myers beach with the girls
6. Designed my favorite campaign to date - the Flavors of Denver and am very happy that they raised a huge amount of money, topping last year's event.
7. Double Dated at Noah's Ark
8. Lost a lot of money in the stock market
9. Took Mike to his first State Fair
10. Won best an award for best email campaign within the nations continuing education schools.
11. Learned how to cook with garlic or cook in general
13. Feel in love with the blue cheese dip at Lulu and Juniper 61
14. Chaired a committee at work to raise money for local and national nonprofits
15. Saw some really great music acts: Ray LaMontange in Madison, Amos Lee in Chicago and Milwaukee, Jack Johnson in Alpine Valley, Matt Costa in Atlanta, Jeffery Foucault in Milwaukee and Fort Atkinson and the best show ever - Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band at Harley Fest
16. Surprised Mike with a trip to Atlanta to see his best friend
17. Learned a lesson to stay away from group dinners over 8 people
18. Meet about 50 more relatives of Mike's in one evening
19. Pushed myself to design better, say no to clients and be utterly creative
20. Learned to: value the friends I am closest with, reconnect with old friends, take criticism with a grain of salt, cherish the time I have with my grandmas and grandpa, live responsibly not extravagantly, speak up, and most of all love the one I'm with.

Payoff

So after the previous ranting, that day happened to be our work holiday party. At which time two awards were given out for employee excellence. Guess who won the first? Yes yours truly, out of 80 employees I won an award for outstanding work. It was ironic while I was standing beside the Dean while she was reading that I make all my deadlines, am very optimistic, etc that the two week prior I have not made one deadline and would rather drink arsenic for lunch than work on a project. I do hope that being the only one in the office over the winter break, I'll be able to catch up on all my projects and you know be prepared for that big 17 day vacation come March.

Give me a straight answer

At work I deal with all types of people. Nice people, demanding people, controlling people, crazy fun people. The past couple weeks I've dealt with them all more so than before. Today was the first day in a really long time that if the person on the other side of the telephone was standing in front of me I would have mustered up all my frustration and punched them.

You see this person on the other side of the phone is not the person you can get a straight answer from when you ask her a general question. And if it's a billable question, this person wants it in writing. But when asked a very general question she will not answer it. Not at all. And when the process is not followed to a T but made efficient for a brief moment in time, who gets a lecture? I do.

If I'm not an alcoholic by 2009 I'd be surprised.

$1.59

Gas is now down to $1.59. And for all you milk drinkers, the price for a gallon of milk is $1.98 (with coupon). According to this ad, you're saving $1.91. Everything is half off this Christmas, except movie tickets.

Sleep

As soon as it started getting cold out I LOVE sleeping. At work at about 3pm I can't wait to cuddle up, put my head on the pillow and have sweet dreams. It's hard to stay up at night unless something really exciting is going on like a wedding, 80's dancing or some really good Entertainment news. Since it's been cold a new soft furry blanket has made friends with the sheet and quilt. I end up kicking down the cotton sheet so that my body is wrapped up in this milk chocolate fur. It is absolutely wonderful.

Red Lobster

Yesterday, for the first time in over 15 years I dined at Red Lobster. Since I had an extremely frustrating day at work all I wanted a cold beer and fried food. Mike and I have been to the dive places in Tosa so we decided to try something new - Red Lobster. I anticipated red leather booths, all you can eat fried shrimp and the smell of grease. Not the case. I would say it's the equivalent to a Applebees. The decor was nice, the menu had variety but there was not all you can eat anything. The food was so so. I can't believe we went there - next time I'm going back to the Rick Inn on capital where jack and cokes are less than $5 and the fried fish is awesome.

$1.69

Gas is now $1.69. I thought it would spike after lunch due to holiday traveling. Clearly it went the other way. Down. I'm back to bombay sapphires tonics and doesn't it feel good.

$1.79

Gas has now drop 10 cents since my last post. Which means it dropped in two days. If we continuing dropping at 10 cents lets say per week (to be generous) we will be at $1.29 at Christmas, maybe $1.39 because of traveling. Today it is now more than half of what it was this summer. Since people are having trouble buying cars and paying loans i have an idea. Forget that your 401K down, it will be back up after your hair has fallen out. So your now paying half of what you used to for gas. Let's put that money toward your mortgage or your car loan or the new purchase of a car, rather than material things or a to "stimulate" the economy. It will be slow but then the banks can start trusting in the average person and we will be back on track.

Revenge of the gnome

I thought I found all the 40+ gnomes that lived in my dad's house. I was proven wrong. When I opened a box in the storage room labeled "Kitchen" I pulled out a sculpture that Mom had made. "Cool" I thought, "There must be more." So I started unwrapping the newspaper and there in my hand lay Caroline, the ballet gnome; Yule, the Christmas gnome; Val, the valentine gnome; etc. Total gnome count before Monday was 60+. Then I talked to my grandma in Oconomowoc who mentions she has more gnomes for me to take ((since she is moving (which will be a completely different blogpost)). I think my mom was crazy and my dad was crazier for letter her spend $30, even more for each gnome. I have no idea what value they added to everyday life but I have spent over one day trying to sell these creatures on ebay. I'll try to say goodbye but I know that is probably not the case.

$1.89

Gas is now $1.89.

Last Friday it was $1.99 which I didn't think it would hit that mark until the end of the year. Christmas has come early for gas guzzlers. Where will it be by the end the year, lower or higher? I was reading the December issue of Money Magazine which experts said the gas price may drop to the price it was last year...around $2.35. If the experts aren't on, who else isn't? The government. This price drop is a better bailout plan than Bush sending out checks to everyone but the rich.

My question is why is a half gallon of milk more expensive than gas?

My little sister got married

My little sister got married Nov. 1st in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. I don't think I've ever drank, partied and danced four days in a row. Whatever it took, money, stress, coffee we all made it work and it was so much fun. The highlight of the trip was party after the wedding. Most of the wedding party, friends, family crowded into the Tiki bar which had the best DJ ever. Within minutes of a song request the dj would play it. More than half of the bar was guest from the wedding. And most of us stayed to close it down. I also learned that you cannot take an open intoxicant into the car. Which I guess I wanted to do. But by the time I plopped myself into grandpa's big chair I was asleep.

The weather, the seafood, family and friends made for a very good beach wedding.

What a weekend

It was very hard to get up this morning. It could have been that I topped off constant blue moon beer drinking with a glass of red wine. Between gallery night on Friday, a birthday party, cleaning the house, buying pumpkins, cooking at 2am, and the third annual Mike and Gina pumpkin party I think I deserved to sleep in a little bit.

Homework for Republicans

If you haven't read the article in the Rolling Stone about John McCain I highly encourage you do so. If it doesn't change your vote I don't know what will.

Read it here

McCain

what I want to be when I grow up

Since my job at the University isn't very exciting at the movement I started to think of other things I could be.

1. An upholsterer bringing back to life old furniture with fashionable fabric
2. The first COOL woman cycling jersey designer
3. Founder of a green gym, where the equipment generates power when used
4. A designer of high fashion clutches and other bags
5. A photographer for National Geographic
6. An Art Director for a Luxury Travel magazine
7. Head of a nonprofit that helps women find and stay in a job
8. An organic farmer
9. Director of opening movie credits
10. A green remodeling expert

Solving the world's economic problem

Forget everything you learned about supply and demand.

I think that the top persons who make the most money in a company should reduce their pay by a small percentage and give themselves a pat on the back for doing a great job. Then whatever business they are in, they should lower the cost at whatever they are selling by another small percentage. Giving the consumer a better price leaves more money for them to pay their debt or spend on other services and products. Hence helping businesses and consumers. And send all oil executives to Mars, that includes you George W. This is my ideal world.

Cake

My weekend was great. Mike and I like to go to a fish fries on friday nights. So we drove to Pewaukee to a little place called the 5 o'clock club and we had a nice greasy fish fry.

On Saturdays Mike usually does yard work but took the day off to shop with me. We stopped at the Public Market because our friend works for Heavy Rotation, a graphic t-shirt shop. They were having an awesome sale on their shirts. Every shirt $5. I got one and Mike bought 5 or 6 or 10. He has a t-shirt addiction.

Since a furniture store in Racine was clearing out some fabric we made a day of hanging out in in Southern Wisconsin. After picking up a truckload of fabric we had our second fish fry at the YardArm. Their specialty is the "sanddollar". A thin fried potatoe slice sprinkled with cheese. Yummy.

I hadn't been to the Kenosha outlets in two years so I shooooped! I bought two dresses at Banana Republic. One which is replacing the outfit I bought a couple days ago to wear to an event later in the evening. Oh it was perfect a little short but at least it zippered all the way up! Ah fab, so many more stores to go in. Venturing to a newly built area I found white house black market and bcbg. So dangerous - I had to leave.

Tonight our friend Shanel, an amazing creative fabric goddess was putting on a runway showing featuring her new line of clothes. I helped her out with the invite (above) so I got comp tixs to the show. I had my hot new dress one, Mike looked awesome and we were going to my first ever fashion show. The things that Shanel showed were slamming.
I wish I owned at least half of them.

Afterwards Mike and I enjoyed a quiet moment at elsa's. I had the double trouble I'm in heaven chocolate cake. Mike had a BLT. We both had coffee and conversation. And then we crashed.

Ah Sunday the day I've been looking forward to for so so long - It's Packer football day. I wake up earlier than normal for a Sunday. Because I have so much energy I go for my first run since January.

We had some of our friends for the game and dinner. Brought in our cozy house, chocolate cake. I can't wait to finish dinner I just want to bite in no utensils to this jimmy covered cake. It's so good. It really needs to go home with the owner but it's left here. Left to be consumed for breakfast, for a little snack after lunch, right before bed, and whenever I'm upset about the pack blowing it.

this little piggy

I wasn't expecting to have a busy weekend but I did. My very first friend I made in college was Aaron. And if it weren't for him I would have never met Mike. He moved to New York 4 or so years ago. (Grandma you met him in Florida 6 years ago). Every time he comes to town I try to see him. This past Friday a group of us met out at a new bar in the Third Ward called Soho 7. He is one of the most energetic, good natured persons I've ever met.

The next morning I wake up to bacon and pancakes, not unusual for the weekend. But it just so happened to be the day my friends were throwing a pig roast. I think about the poor piggy covered in grease sitting next to my pancake... o your so very delicious.. and I'm going to see your cousin in a couple hours. Did I want to go to the pig roast? No, because I think there were better party themes to have than in honor of a pig. But what the heck all my friends will be there. So I went and ALL my college friends were there. Most are now married, engaged or have babies. One person I didn't even know was asking me about my bags, which I thought was very nice. My new friend Joy showed up and we got suckered into playing old college drinking drinking games. After seven+ hours the pig was done and I wasn't prepared to eat it so I had everything else but meat, plus all the beer I had I was full.

For the past couple months, Joy and I had talked about going to the dance club "Have a Nice Day Cafe" but never acted on it. It's one of those places you know are going are crawling with underage college kids and bachelorette parties. It took one call inviting us to a free beer party and we were there. It felt like high school dance party.

By midnight I was missing Mike so I finally made it back home. It was one of those nights were if you moved while sleeping you'd be running for the nearest receptacle.

By 9am the phone was ringing with an invitation to brunch and my sister frantic about finding a skirt to match her top for her bridal shower. I could have used an hour or two more of sleep. I met my friend Sue at Bean's and Barley, an organic restaurant and grocery store for breakfast. The last time I saw Sue was in December in Chicago so it was good to catch up. Sue and I could have talked for a couple more hours but I was already putting off the drama that would encounter me in West Bend.

If you don't live in Wisconsin, it rained all weekend. So I white knuckled the drive up. I could have used some aspirin because as soon as I walked through the door I have questions being slingshotted from both my grandma and her special friend and because they are hard of hearing they are louder than normal, and they usually talk at the same time.

This is now the second Packer game I missed this year. I am 0-2 while the Pack is 2-0. But I am the maid of honor and I must have a drink during this bridal shower. It didn't help me brush of the night of drinking and dancing but I made it threw it without throwing up. Grandma has a three prong which is like a cane with training wheels but she preferred me to help her up down and around the house. I think my other grandma has it right by drinking a martini once a day.

By 6pm I was back in Milwaukee cuddling up with Mike for the rest of the night.

Socks

Today is the first day I've put on socks since May. I don't like it, but I look back to summer and realize that I've had a pretty awesome summer. Mike has just made a fire and sadly we enter fall, but first a few highlights from Summer:

1. Seeing Amos Lee in Chicago
2. Wearing big summer hats at the market
2. Seeing Jeffery Focult play, twice
3. Moving into Mike's house
4. Hanging out at Pere Marquette Park Wednesday nights listening to live music
5. Seeing my friend Joey in a plaid jacket
6. Finishing the basement into my office
7. Celebrating 1 year since Mike and I have started dating
8. Eating Transfer Pizza
9. Game nights and cookouts
10. A weekend getaway to Shawano
11. Learning that my sister thinks Woolly Mammoths still exist
12. Dragging buckets of water out of Mike's basement
13. Using fresh herbs from the garden for cooking
14. Taking a hip hop dance class with Sara
15. Double date at Noah's Ark
16. Riding in the family's first 25 mile bike ride
17. Partying with the Sara's for their birthday at the ballpark
18. The Fantasy Football draft party where I got drunk before dinner time
19. Saz's sampler platter at Summerfest and State Fair - yum!
20. Standing through 3.5 hours of the best Springsteen concert ever AND hearing him play "Glory Days"